1. India registered another highest single-day rise in coronavirus cases reporting 3,86,452 new infections. The country’s tally ow stands at 1,87,62,976 since the pandemic first broke out in India in January 2020. With 3,498 deaths, the toll climbed to 2,08,330, while the active case count stood 31,70,228.
  2. The West Bengal government has ordered a shutdown of shopping complexes, malls, beauty parlours, cinema halls, restaurants and bars, gyms and sports complexes. Markets to operate only between 7 am and 10 am and 3 to 5 pm until further orders.
  3. The first lot of Sputnik V vaccines will arrive in India on May 1, ANI reported, quoting the Chief Executive Officer of Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev.
  4. The Supreme Court said that governments should not curb the voices on social media either calling out for medical help or conveying their grievances during the coronavirus pandemic. The court said it will treat such actions as contempt of court. The court also asked the Centre not to leave pricing of vaccines to manufacturers.
  5. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation extended the suspension on international passenger flights till May 31. Meanwhile, the Australian government is considering laying down a provision of five years of imprisonment or a fine of 66,000 Australian dollars (nearly Rs 38 lakh) against its citizens if they arrive in the country from India bypassing a flight ban imposed earlier this week.
  6. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed willingness to strengthen anti-pandemic cooperation with India and provide support and help to deal with the second wave of coronavirus, PTI reported quoting the country’s state media.
  7.   Television journalist Rohit Sardana died of heart attack, days after testing positive for coronavirus. Bihar Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Singh also died of the virus at a hospital in Patna. Meanwhile, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has isolated himself after testing positive.
  8.   The armed forces have been granted emergency financial powers to augment their efforts amid rising Covid-19 cases. The new powers will aid them in operating facilities, procure medical equipment and resources and perform any required urgent tasks.
  9. Drug companies Pfizer and BioNTech have sent a request for European Union drug regulators to extend their vaccine approvals to include children aged between 12 and 15.
  10. Globally, coronvirus has now infected over 15 crore people (15,06,30,922) and killed over 31.68 lakh since the pandemic broke out in December 2019, according to Johns Hopkins University. Over 8.77 crore people have recovered from the infection.